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• Participation 10%• Assignment 15% (2 parts @ 7.5% each)• Quizzes 45% (3 @ 15% each) • Final Exam 30%• Total = 100%
What Is Psychology?What Is Psychology?
Chapter 1Chapter 1
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Chapter OutlineChapter Outline
• Psychology, Pseudo-science & Popular OpinionPsychology, Pseudo-science & Popular Opinion
• Thinking Critically and Creatively about PsychologyThinking Critically and Creatively about Psychology
• Psychology’s PresentPsychology’s Present
• What Psychologists DoWhat Psychologists Do
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PsychologyPsychology
• The discipline concerned with behaviour and mental The discipline concerned with behaviour and mental processes and how they are affected by an processes and how they are affected by an organism’s physical state, mental state, and external organism’s physical state, mental state, and external environmentenvironment
• EmpiricalEmpirical– Evidence gathered by careful observation, Evidence gathered by careful observation,
experimentation, or measurementexperimentation, or measurement
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Pop PsychologyPop Psychology
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left right
Psychology, Pseudoscience, & Psychology, Pseudoscience, & PsychobabblePsychobabble
• Can you distinguish between psychobabble and Can you distinguish between psychobabble and empirical psychology?empirical psychology?
– PsychobabblePsychobabble confirms unsupported popular confirms unsupported popular opinionopinion
– Empirical approach Empirical approach makes use of research makes use of research evidence and challenges opinionevidence and challenges opinion
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PseudosciencePseudoscience
• associates itself with true science associates itself with true science • relies on and accepts relies on and accepts anecdotal evidence anecdotal evidence
PseudosciencePseudoscience
• ignores disproof (countering evidence)ignores disproof (countering evidence)• a theory is not a good theory if it can never make a theory is not a good theory if it can never make
specific predictions specific predictions • dangerously reduces complexity to simplicity (to a dangerously reduces complexity to simplicity (to a
consumer society)consumer society)
Clues for a Pseudoscience Clues for a Pseudoscience
• The use of psychobabble – words that sound scientific and professional but are used incorrectly, or in a misleading manner.
• A substantial reliance on anecdotal evidence.• Extraordinary claims in the absence of extraordinary
evidence.• Claims which cannot be proven false.• Claims that counter established scientific fact.• Absence of adequate peer review.• Claims that are repeated despite being refuted. 1 - 10
PsychologyPsychology
• Uses research and the scientific method to Uses research and the scientific method to challenge popular opinions and things that are challenge popular opinions and things that are considered common sense…considered common sense…
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Examples of Pseudoscience
• Astrology - Belief that humans are affected by the position of celestial bodies
Examples of Pseudoscience
• Mental Powers – ESP, mind reading, palm reading, crystal balls, tarot card reading
• Conspiracy theories
Empirical Science
• Peer review
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Thinking Critically & CreativelyThinking Critically & Creatively
• Critical thinkingCritical thinking
– The ability and willingness to assess claims and make The ability and willingness to assess claims and make objective judgments on the basis of well-supported objective judgments on the basis of well-supported reasons and evidence, rather than emotion or anecdote.reasons and evidence, rather than emotion or anecdote.
– 8 critical thinking guidelines8 critical thinking guidelines
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Critical Thinking GuidelinesCritical Thinking Guidelines
1.1. Ask Questions: Be Willing to WonderAsk Questions: Be Willing to Wonder- how, why - how, why
2.2. Define Your TermsDefine Your Terms- Vague terms lead to incomplete answers- Vague terms lead to incomplete answers
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Critical Thinking GuidelinesCritical Thinking Guidelines
3. Examine the Evidence3. Examine the Evidence- Check the facts available Check the facts available - Identifying bad sourcesIdentifying bad sources- CRAP test (see hand-out) CRAP test (see hand-out)
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Critical Thinking GuidelinesCritical Thinking Guidelines
4. Analyze Assumptions and Biases4. Analyze Assumptions and Biases - - assumptionsassumptions are beliefs taken for granted are beliefs taken for granted - - biasesbiases occur when we ignore the alternatives despite evidence occur when we ignore the alternatives despite evidence
Michael Zehaf-Bibeau
5.5. Avoid Emotional ReasoningAvoid Emotional Reasoning- Emotional conviction alone cannot settle arguments - Emotional conviction alone cannot settle arguments
6.6. Don’t OversimplifyDon’t Oversimplify- - Argument by anecdote Argument by anecdote – generalizing to everyone based on – generalizing to everyone based on personal experience or a few examplespersonal experience or a few examples
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Critical Thinking GuidelinesCritical Thinking Guidelines
7. Consider Other Interpretations7. Consider Other Interpretations- Consider many explanations - Consider many explanations
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Critical Thinking GuidelinesCritical Thinking Guidelines
7. Consider other interpretations7. Consider other interpretations
• People who floss regularly live longerPeople who floss regularly live longer• More crime occurs at lower elevation in San More crime occurs at lower elevation in San
Fransisco than at higher elevation. Fransisco than at higher elevation.
Junkscience.orgJunkscience.org
8. Tolerate Uncertainty8. Tolerate Uncertainty- Realize not everything has an answer…yet - Realize not everything has an answer…yet
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Critical Thinking GuidelinesCritical Thinking Guidelines
Critical Thinking
1. Ask questions; be willing to wonder. 2. Define the problem. 3. Examine the evidence. 4. Analyze assumptions and biases. 5. Avoid emotional reasoning 6. Don’t use either/or thinking or overgeneralize7. Consider other interpretations 8. Tolerate uncertainty.
• Major Psychological Perspectives:Major Psychological Perspectives:
1.1. Biological perspectiveBiological perspective
2.2. Learning perspectiveLearning perspective
3.3. Cognitive perspectiveCognitive perspective
4.4. Socio-cultural perspectiveSocio-cultural perspective
5.5. Psychodynamic perspectivePsychodynamic perspective
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Psychology’s PresentPsychology’s Present
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Biological PerspectiveBiological Perspective
• Approach that emphasizes how bodily events affect Approach that emphasizes how bodily events affect behaviour, feelings, and thoughtsbehaviour, feelings, and thoughts
• This perspective involves:This perspective involves:
• HormonesHormones• Brain chemistryBrain chemistry• Heredity/genetics Heredity/genetics • Evolutionary psychologyEvolutionary psychology
– How past adaptive behaviours are reflected in present How past adaptive behaviours are reflected in present behavioursbehaviours
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Learning PerspectiveLearning Perspective
• Approach that is concerned with how the Approach that is concerned with how the environment and experience affect a person’s (or environment and experience affect a person’s (or animal’s) actionsanimal’s) actions
• This perspective involves:This perspective involves:
– Behaviourism: Behaviourism: how environmental rewards and how environmental rewards and punishments influences behaviourpunishments influences behaviour
– Social-cognitive learning theories: Social-cognitive learning theories: combine elements of combine elements of behaviourism with thoughts, values, expectations, and behaviourism with thoughts, values, expectations, and intentions.intentions.
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• Approach that emphasizes Approach that emphasizes mental processes mental processes in in perception, memory, language, problem solving, and perception, memory, language, problem solving, and reasoningreasoning
Cognitive PerspectiveCognitive Perspective
Socio-cultural PerspectiveSocio-cultural Perspective
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• Approach that emphasizes social and cultural influences Approach that emphasizes social and cultural influences on behaviouron behaviour
• This perspective involves:This perspective involves:
– Social psychology – study of rules, roles, groups, and Social psychology – study of rules, roles, groups, and relationshipsrelationships
– Cultural psychology – study of cultural norms, values, and Cultural psychology – study of cultural norms, values, and expectationsexpectations
Psychodynamic PerspectivePsychodynamic Perspective
• Sigmund FreudSigmund Freud• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQh9LBIhjyM• 4 minutes 50 seconds4 minutes 50 seconds
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Psychodynamic PerspectivePsychodynamic Perspective
• Approach that emphasizes unconscious Approach that emphasizes unconscious dynamics within the individual, such as dynamics within the individual, such as inner forces, conflicts, or instinctual inner forces, conflicts, or instinctual energyenergy
• This perspective involves:This perspective involves:– Unconscious thoughts, desires, conflictsUnconscious thoughts, desires, conflicts
• Connected to all other areas of Connected to all other areas of psychology, but distinct in its language, psychology, but distinct in its language, methods, and standards of evidencemethods, and standards of evidence
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How do you become a Psychologist?
• Undergraduate Degree – psychology or related field, with an Honours thesis, art or science
• Master’s Degree – approximately 2 years, funding available and paid some
• PhD – approximately 4 years, funding available and paid some (now you are a psychologist!)
• Post-doctoral placements – funding available and paid
What Psychologists DoWhat Psychologists Do
• Three categories of professional activities for Three categories of professional activities for psychologists:psychologists:
1.1. Teaching and doing research in colleges and universitiesTeaching and doing research in colleges and universities
2.2. Providing health or mental-health servicesProviding health or mental-health services (psychological practice)(psychological practice)
3.3. Conducting applied research for non- academic settingsConducting applied research for non- academic settings (business, sports, government, law, and military)(business, sports, government, law, and military)
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Psychological PracticePsychological Practice
– Counselling psychologistsCounselling psychologists: help with everyday : help with everyday problemsproblems
– School psychologists: School psychologists: work with students, parents work with students, parents & teachers to enhance performance and resolve & teachers to enhance performance and resolve emotional difficultiesemotional difficulties
– Clinical psychologists: Clinical psychologists: diagnose, treat, & study diagnose, treat, & study mental and emotional problemsmental and emotional problems
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Clinical Psychologists are NOT:Clinical Psychologists are NOT:
• PsychotherapistsPsychotherapists– Anyone who does any kind of psychotherapyAnyone who does any kind of psychotherapy
• PsychoanalystsPsychoanalysts– Individuals who have trained in and practice Individuals who have trained in and practice
psychoanalysispsychoanalysis
• PsychiatristsPsychiatrists– Medical doctors who diagnose and treat mental Medical doctors who diagnose and treat mental
disordersdisorders
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End of Chapter 1End of Chapter 1
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